1 | The First Psalm: Broken Alabaster Jar, a Poured-out Perfume and an Anointed Testimony

A Broken Alabaster Jar, a Poured-out Perfume and an Anointed Testimony: John 12:1-8, Mark 14:1-9

For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her. (Mark 14:7-9 ESV)

Every Christian is called to be a witness for Jesus and to bear the testimony of Jesus. While the world encapsulates being a good testimony as one who serves other people and do good works for others, the goodly testimony is something that goes beyond doing good works.

What Actually Made Jesus Honor the Offering of Mary?

The story of Mary (of Bethany- sister of Martha and Lazarus) and her alabaster jar of expensive perfume John 12:1-8 and Mark 14:1-9 is one of the most talked about stories in the bible. Most of the times our reading and even our meditation mainly focuses on giving an offering to Jesus

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while in the book of Mark, reading a little further, actually tells us about Jesus honoring Marys offering that he prophesied about the deed not being
forgotten but instead being talked about and remembered everywhere the gospel is preached.

The very thing that made Jesus honor the offering of Mary while the people scoff at her and scolded her is the truth that Mary showed utmost devotion to Jesus. She did this by giving him something or even the very thing she treasures.

In the ancient times, expensive perfumes such as this one in the passage are contained in narrow-necked flasks made of alabaster.

The reason for this is because expensive perfumes are meant to be kept with utmost care or the fragrance will evaporate out of the jar degrading the quality of the perfume.

This is why a sealed alabaster jar with a narrow neck is the best container for such perfume.

Using the perfume would require breaking the flask on the neck. Resealing is impossible and therefore the expensive perfume can be used only once and

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must be consumed right off. For this, people of Jesus time would only use these perfume on very special occasions.

The Good and the Godly Testimony

Mark 14:5 and John 12:5 states that the cost of the alabaster jar and the perfume sums up to 300 denarii- which is more than a years wage.

300 denarii could have been a very huge amount of money which Mary, by selling the alabaster jar and the perfume, would have given her so much to fun an outreach project to the poor to be a testimony of a follower of Christ.

Then again, she chose to break the jar and pour out her perfume at the feet of Jesus.

This talks about 2 kinds of testimony- the good testimony and the godly testimony.

The Good Testimony- doing something good for other people and

to other people. There is nothing wrong with reaching out to other people

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and being that beacon of Jesus goodness and love to the poor and the lost by being a good person.

However, when you get so caught up, excited and anxious about bearing that good testimony to the point of losing focus and losing tract of the person whom we are testifying for- who is Jesus. You have a serious problem.

Know that even the people who have not surrendered their lives to the Lord, even those who do not know Jesus- can do good things. *I am sure there are a lot of names flashing on your mind right now.*

Moreover, there will be and are church people who are doing all these good things for the poor and the lost but are not or are no longer founded in the Lord.

Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in

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your name? And then will I declare to them, I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness. (Matthew 7:21-23 ESV)

Bottom line is, anybody can do for a good testimony- but then Jesus requires something beyond doing good for Him to honor what a person has to offer and for Him to honor the testimony of a deed.

2:20:

The Godly Testimony- let us start this section by quoting Galatians

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

While the good testimony is about reaching out to people, touching peoples lives and doing good, the godly is about reaching out to Jesus himself, touching the heart of God and doing what is godly.

Obviously, being mere humans it would be impossible for a person even for a Christian to be perfectly godly. However, Galatians 2:20 says that the moment we accept Jesus, it is no longer us but Jesus in us.

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The And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me part of the verse talks about living by faith in Jesus in order to, little by little- from glory to glory and by faith to faith, live the life of the testimony of Jesus.

Going back to Mary, the very thing that about her deed that made Jesus honor her offering lies in the truth that the moment she broke her alabaster jar and poured out her perfume at the feet of Jesus, she did a very symbolic gesture that serves as our model the making of the anointed testimony that every single Christian is supposed to live by to be a witness of Jesus to the poor and the lost.

What Makes an Anointed Testimony?

The very thing that makes an anointed testimony is total devotion.

Total devotion to Jesus is throwing yourself at Jesus feet, breaking your alabaster jar and pouring out your perfume every single day and as much as you can.

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3 Things that Make an Anointed Testimony:

1. The alabaster jar- represents the things in our lives that we seek to perfect. It could be our lifestyle in general but it mainly represents things that display our ability such as our strengths, assets and talents.

Alabaster jars are made from a precious type of gypsum that requires so much skill to shape and polish.

Breaking your alabaster jar at the feet of Jesus is telling him Lord, let every good thing in me be broken at your feet so that in times when I do exploits I will not cause myself to boast in what I have. Take it God, it is yours.

Only when our alabaster jars are broken at the feet of Jesus only will be able to fully give him the glory for every good thing that comes our way and that comes through us. Thus, the testimony that we release in these moments becomes not the good kind of testimony but the godly testimony as we acknowledge that it is from, through and by Jesus.

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It becomes the testimony of Jesus.

2. The expensive perfume- represents the things in our lives in the present, in the past and even in the future that in one way or another crushed our hearts.

The most expensive of perfumes are extracted from herbs, flowers, lichens and seaweeds by crushing. Also, most perfumes in the ancient times are used as incense so they are placed in a container above fire to let their pleasant scent fill the room.

Devoting yourself to Jesus and coming to worship him does not always need to be happy with colors here and there. You can come to Jesus to pour your heart and hurts out. Psalms 34:18 says

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

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When you choose to worship him and to be with him even when you are hurting and in pain, he will heal and comfort you. Jesus honors worship that is honest and raw.

Remember, you dont have to be at your best to give the best worship to Jesus. You just have to be you- true, honest, raw, just you. Only then will Jesus be the I am you need Him to be in that moment.

So pour it all out. ALL out.

3. The cost of the alabaster jar and the expensive perfume that amounts to 300 denarii which is more than a years wage- talks about living the lifestyle of worship. Worship goes beyond singing songs or dancing or even crying out at church or in your closet. And so does devotion.

Jesus Christ is the epitome of a life of worship and devotion.

Brian Johnson says that if you want to learn what worship really is and how it really works, then read the Gospel Books.

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The manner Jesus worships and devotes the whole of himself to the Father is the same manner we are expected to worship and devote our lives to Jesus the moment we decided and resolved to follow him.

More than a years wage basically means that we are to wrestle and fight for that devotion to Jesus every single day and as much as we can or in every situation that comes our way. This way we will live a lifestyle of worship.

Living the lifestyle of worship by devoting yourself to Jesus everyday and every moment of that day then makes it- living the life that Jesus has meant for you to live.

This is then what Galatians 2:20 is all about. And then as we live by faith in Jesus, the testimony of our lives becomes the testimony of Jesus.

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The Testimony of Jesus: An Anointed Testimony

Revelation 19:10 says that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of Prophecy.

The moment Mary broke the alabaster jar and poured out the perfume on Jesus feet symbolizes her full devotion and surrender to Jesus so that the testimony of her deed, which is her testimony, now becomes the testimony of Jesus.

So when Jesus said what Mary has done will be remembered, He is actually prophesying about the anointing in the testimony of the deed.

When a testimony is the testimony of Jesus- one where Jesus is glorified, the testimony lives, thrives and multiplies.

A living testimony does not stop at one person.

It continues to flow. It thrives to live in the lives of the people who claim the prophecy of that testimony for themselves. And then the testimony

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multiplies as it becomes alive in the lives of those who held on to the prophecy of it.

When you live a life that is devoted and surrendered to Jesus- the testimony of what Jesus has done to turn your life 180 degrees, the testimony of how Jesus has supplied your needs according to his riches and glory and the testimony of how Jesus has healed you and how he has caused you to triumph over a bad circumstance, it becomes the testimony that will reach out and move people towards the direction of Jesus.

It will be the testimony that will cause them to want to devote and surrender their lives to Jesus as you have chosen to do. And then the testimony of lives in you and these people and it will thrive and will continue to multiply.

In the end, an anointed testimony comes only by going the extra milewhich is by living a life of devotion and worship.

Break the alabaster jar. Pour the perfume out. Wrestle every day and in every way to live for and in Jesus.